1955 Chevrolet Touch Up Paint (28 OEM Colors)

The 1955 Chevrolet Vibe

Welcome to the year the "Hot One" arrived. In 1955, Chevrolet didn't just redesign a car; they changed the American landscape with the introduction of the Small Block V8 and that legendary "Motoramic" styling. Whether you were hauling lumber in a Task Force truck or cruising the boulevard in a Bel Air from our All Other Models category, 1955 was about optimism you could see from space. We've cataloged 28 era-defining colors from this year-a massive palette for the time. We're talking about high-impact classics like Gypsy Red, Regal Turquoise, and the ever-present India Ivory. This was the peak of the two-tone craze, where your roof was often a different flavor than your quarters, making every parking lot look like a bowl of Tropical Sherbet.

Paint Health Check

If you're looking at original 1955 factory paint, you're standing in the Single Stage Era. Back then, "clear coat" was something they only used on fingernails and dining room tables. Your Chevy left the factory with a thick layer of nitrocellulose lacquer or alkyd enamel where the pigment and the gloss were one and the same. The good news? That paint is often thicker than a modern car's entire body panel. The bad news? It's a living, breathing thing that hates the sun. Without a clear top layer to shield it, UV rays turn those vibrant blues and reds into a chalky, hazy mess known as oxidation. If you rub your hand across the hood and it comes away the color of the car, your paint is literally starving to death.

Restoration Tip

The golden rule for 1955 single-stage paint: It needs wax or it dies. Because there's no clear coat to protect the pigment, the oils in the paint eventually evaporate, leaving the surface "open" and porous. To save it, don't just jump to a heavy compound-you might buff right through fifty years of history. Start with a dedicated pre-wax cleaner or a light polish to "feed" the paint and pull that chalky oxidation off. Once the color starts to glow again, seal it immediately with a high-quality Carnauba wax. Think of it like moisturizing old leather; keep those oils locked in, or you'll be watching Autumn Bronze Metallic flake away into the driveway.